Police plan dedicated peacekeeping training centre this year

Fiji Police Force Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has revealed plans to establish a dedicated peacekeeping training centre this year, as an extension of the Fiji Police Academy, to better prepare officers for overseas deployments.

Speaking to reporters after the launch of the Gender Barrier Assessment Project Report at the Novotel Convention Centre in Lami yesterday, Mr Tudravu said the force currently lacked a standalone facility for pre-deployment training.

“It’s high time now, given the record of peacekeeping being done within the Fiji Police. We normally train our pre-deployment at the academy. We don’t have a special facility for that,” he said.

Mr Tudravu said the new centre would be separate from Black Rock Camp, which supports joint pre-deployment training with the military.

“For Black Rock where the military is assisting, that is for deployment with the military. But solely for police deployment there is none. It’s just an extension of the current buildings,” he said.

He said the facility would be built either at the Police Academy in Nasova or the Police Mobile Force base in Nasinu.

“Just to get a facility for pre-deployment purpose,” he said.

Asked how soon he wanted the centre completed, Mr Tudravu was direct.

“I want it this year,” he said.

This year marks 37 years since the Fiji Police Force first deployed officers on a United Nations peacekeeping mission, with the first contingent sent to Namibia on April 11, 1989.

Since then, the force has sent more than 1,650 officers on peacekeeping missions worldwide.